If you go to the origin of the word, it was about a specific group of people, a cult, I think. Now I think it is applied to any people demonstrating certain behavioral characteristics as perceived by other individuals. But that does not preclude the word being accepted as and employed as a code word by other individualsa and groups to condemn other individuals or groups.

How about "Thuggies" from the old Gunga Din" movie that was India in the 1800s. Or maybe I've seen too many movies.

bump....any thoughts on the origin of the word beside the foregoing?

It doesn't really matter what the origins are. It's the use of it and apparently some blacks feeling sensitive it points only to them as blacks, when it doesn't.

Some may not know that the Hindu word "Thuggee" means "thief". Loosely translated, that's how it applies to wife beaters, violent criminals, maybe people who show a potential for violence or lack of control, etc.

Turdell Thuggs..for example. He's a loser. A punk. A thug. A bum. A turd. Chose a word.

No, it's a code word for thug. If you don't want to be called a thug don't beat women, traffic drugs, murder people, have 2000 different kids from 1000 different women, etc etc.

I am so sick of the race card being used for everything. I could easily use one as well. I grew up very poor, received no scholarship money other than what I earned from my GPA, and lost a job opportunity out of college due to affirmative action. Why? Because I'm white. Racism is starting to fade ever so slightly, but when people say things like that it keeps it fresh in everyone's minds and creates more animosity.

sure pal...only in your world. come to mine and you will see things clearly. In my 37 years on this earth, racism has never been bigger. You see it only exists in the eye of the beholder. How a white man living in a white mans world will ever understand racism is puzzling to me. BTW, way to go painting ALL NFL players with such a broad brush. I hadnt heard of Sherman doing any of those things. Folks DID tweet that Sherman should be lynched and was called the N word over a thousand times. Rasicm dont sound dead to me....lol

This board is really becoming a drag. Im glad these issues come up so I can see where you all stand. Im glad the season is over so I dont have to be around a bunch of uninformed racists ....smh

You lost a job due to affirmative action....lol. So did you give up in life or keep pushing?? YOU dont wanna know about MY struggles, Trust me... .

Of course I didn't give up. I received my CPA license and now live comfortably instead of sitting on my couchblamingothersfor my misfortune. I never said that racism is gone or will be, but focusing on it for every little thing willcertainly help perpetuate it.

You can go on thinking that whites ge every benefit known toman, but we don't. I watched friends get a free ride throughcollege because of their race while I had to take loans because I supported myself and earned too much for any aid.When I didn't land that job, I lost it to a minority who hadjust finished school with no experience. I worked in accounting during college, was the president of two clubs,volunteered with BB/BS, had a 3.9GPA, etc.

I never blamed it on anyone but our society. It is what it is, but don't say that no race is wothout issues. That is just ignorant. I typed this on my phone so there are probably countless grammar/spelling errors.

The word "thug" is sometimes employed to describe blacks in a way that has racist overtones, but it also is often used in a way that does not have racist overtones. As with all words, context matters.

I don't agree. That is the perception via a black person's point of view. That's not the same thing as context. The word is more about projecting violent acts and doing harm to others.

Just because someone HAPPENs to be black who is doing those things, doesn't mean there is a racial overtone.

As someone said above, Whitey Bulger is a thug. He's not black.

Yes, but that's the point. Bulger really is a thug. Sherman is an a s s, but not a thug. Calling him a thug, I think, draws on stereotypes about black men being thugs.

That is correct. That is an assumption made by those who see an unprofessional, immature, selfish buffoon on tv on Sundays, but whose fault is that?

If you turned on your tv and saw some guy who wouldn't s hut up, drew negative attention to his team and self, behaving in that way, wouldn't you think the person was behaving like a punk, White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, etc?

Of course you would. And, the fact is, he is a punk. He's going to get what is coming to him one of these days, whether a swift punch in the mouth knocking him unconscious or maybe something worse.

Seriously, who runs around in life like that? It's one thing to be confident in what you do, some trash talk here and there, but come on.

All I am saying is, regardless of word choice, it's not because he is black. It's because he's acting like a punk or a thug.

Who cares what the more popular current word is, too? LIke I said above, back in the 1980s or 1990s, "punk" was a popular word because it came off of the punk music movement where punk rockers had attitudes and didn't care.

But to say, it replaces the N word for white people??? Please. Stephen A Smith is a race baiting turd and always has been.

I'm okay with punk. I think, though, thug gets employed a bit freely to blacks, which suggests to me some racial stereotyping. I'm not terribly alarmed by the use of the thug word, but I think there's a grain of truth in what Smith said.

Sherman grew up in Compton. Good on him for getting out, but to act like he's some choir boy, come on.

With Talib, he's definitely had some run ins, no doubt there. Although I don't think beating his sister's boyfriend because the boyfriend was abusing her is thuggie. I think it's a guy defending his sister.

This isn't what the discussion is about, though, Joe. Stephen A/ Smith's premise is that white people have replaced the N word with an accepted choic of "thug", which is preposterous.

I don't know how Smith still has a job, to be honest. I've seen other race baiting moves by people on there who got fired, because their comments were so inflammatory.

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oh my B I'm just dropping my 2 cents on that becuase its annoying me people call him a thug. also i agree talib was defending his sister but he has been invovled to two other fight incidents lol good ol' talib. like i said, i think he bought into BB's bait and is better.

as for Stephen A. he makes ANYTHING turn into a race card. anything and everything somehow someway is about the plight of blacks and the struggle and he acts like he is a great 'example' of where they came from ....

he used to be a huge idiot. he's gotten better overall but still always drops the race card

The word "thug" is sometimes employed to describe blacks in a way that has racist overtones, but it also is often used in a way that does not have racist overtones. As with all words, context matters.

I don't agree. That is the perception via a black person's point of view. That's not the same thing as context. The word is more about projecting violent acts and doing harm to others.

Just because someone HAPPENs to be black who is doing those things, doesn't mean there is a racial overtone.

As someone said above, Whitey Bulger is a thug. He's not black.

Yes, but that's the point. Bulger really is a thug. Sherman is an a s s, but not a thug. Calling him a thug, I think, draws on stereotypes about black men being thugs.

That is correct. That is an assumption made by those who see an unprofessional, immature, selfish buffoon on tv on Sundays, but whose fault is that?

If you turned on your tv and saw some guy who wouldn't s hut up, drew negative attention to his team and self, behaving in that way, wouldn't you think the person was behaving like a punk, White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, etc?

Of course you would. And, the fact is, he is a punk. He's going to get what is coming to him one of these days, whether a swift punch in the mouth knocking him unconscious or maybe something worse.

Seriously, who runs around in life like that? It's one thing to be confident in what you do, some trash talk here and there, but come on.

All I am saying is, regardless of word choice, it's not because he is black. It's because he's acting like a punk or a thug.

Who cares what the more popular current word is, too? LIke I said above, back in the 1980s or 1990s, "punk" was a popular word because it came off of the punk music movement where punk rockers had attitudes and didn't care.

But to say, it replaces the N word for white people??? Please. Stephen A Smith is a race baiting turd and always has been.